Eagles blow out Longhorns, 71-48

JAMES BARRINGTON Canyon News staff

Published 8:20 am, Thursday, January 17, 2013

After a low-scoring, defensive struggle for the Lady Eagles, in the top of Friday’s double-header with Caprock, the Eagles had two players in double-digits by halftime. In the end the Eagles claimed a 71-48 rout over the Longhorns to win their season’s first outing in district 3-4A.

Dylan Douglass was the first Eagle on the scoreboard after the Longhorns jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead. Jacob Relyea followed with a bucket off an assist by Nelson Borchardt, and then hit again a moment later to tie the game at 6-6. Next, it was Borchardt’s turn to put in two to give the Eagles their first lead of the game.

Three points by the Horns put them back up by 9-8, but Douglass hit for two off an assist by Cody Price and the Eagles were up again. The Horns managed to tie the game at 11-11, but a two-pointer by Landon Bressler put the Eagles on top to stay. Gunner Johnson rounded out the first quarter scoring when he hit the second of two shots from the charity stripe he earned by being fouled on his way to the goal.

It was 14-11 in favor of the Eagles when the second period began, and Canyon’s boys went on to score four more points before the Horns could find the net again.

In the second period, the Eagles took control and outscored the Caprock boys 27-16, extending their advantage to a 14-point lead by halftime. Wyatt Sippy, who had been silent on the boards during the first quarter erupted for 12 points in the second. His scoring began about half-way through the period when he was fouled while shooting.

Moments later, he was fouled while making a fast-break bucket and converted the three-point play. When he hit a two-point bucket after having served an assist to Reylea, the score was 33-20. He later added a three-point shot from downtown and two more free throws.

In the meantime, Douglass added six points to the four he had scored in the first period to bring his total to 10 by halftime. Five other Eagles also scored in the second period. Reylea’s two points brought his total by halftime to six. Borchardt, Johnson and Jesse Stigler each added two points and Bressler’s free throw brought his halftime total to four.

When the teams emerged from the halftime locker rooms, the Eagles picked up where they left off. Having powered through an 11-point advantage during the second period, they added 10 more to the spread with a 19-9 third quarter exhibition.

Douglass led the scoring in the third period with six, followed by Borchardt with four and Colton O’Brien with three. Brett Weaver broke onto the board with two points, while Sippy and Reylea each added two more.

The Eagles held a commanding 24-point advantage at 60-36 when the fourth period began. Stigler put six points on the board in the final period with Bressler doubling his first half production with four. Weaver’s point rounded out the scoring. Bressler’s four points came off a foul, while making a bucket from beyond the three-point arc. He converted the foul shot into a four-point play.

For the evening, Douglass led the team in scoring with 16 points. Sippy was second with 14, and Bressler, Relyea, Stigler and Borchardt each added eight.

The Eagles served up 12 assists during the game, demonstrating the “team play” that head coach Guy Crenshaw has praised in recent games. Sippy and Weaver were each credited with three. Reylea and Borchardt each claimed two, while Price and Stigler added one apiece.

Bressler was two of three from beyond the three-point arc. Sippy and O’Brien each hit one from downtown. The team hit 21 of 31 free throw attempts.

Defensively, the team also played strong. Bob Dustman was credited with two blocked shots. Clint Hanes, Weaver and Douglass each claimed one.

Borchardt narrowly missed a double-double as his 11 points exceeded his eight points. Douglass was second in rebounds with six while Johnson and Reylea added four each. O’Brien, Weaver and Stigler each claimed two rebounds with Hanes pulling down one.

Sippy, Borchardt and Douglas each had two steals with Bressler and Johnson adding one each.

“It was a pretty good game,” Crenshaw said. “They came out pretty emotional, but I thought we wrangled it pretty early. I thought we really started exerting our will on the offensive end, and then defensively did a good job. It was a good win.”

Pleased to have the first district game in the win column, Crenshaw said, “We needed that. You have to defend your home. They don’t matter till now, and then it’s like ‘How are we going to respond?’ The kids came out really hot and we just kind of kept our cool.”

With that first win behind, Crenshaw looked ahead and added, “Tuesday is the night to defend our home as well.”

The Eagles were scheduled to host the Amarillo High Sandies Tuesday evening and will next see action Friday night when they travel to Palo Duro for their third district contest. Both games will be the second half of a double header in which the girls’ team will tip-off at 6 p.m. and the boys will follow at 7:30.